


Amedot Bomb 8

by E350tb



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: (in final chapter), AU in final chapter, Amedot Bomb, Complete, F/F, Guns, One Shot Collection, Romance, Written pre-Wanted, but post-Stevenbomb 6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-01
Updated: 2017-06-03
Packaged: 2018-11-07 16:25:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11062734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/E350tb/pseuds/E350tb
Summary: One's a neurotic green technician. The other's a purple warrior with self-confidence issues. They protect Earth.Series of oneshots written for the May 2017 Amedot bomb and reposted here from Tumblr. Enjoy!





	1. #1: Picnic

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, E350 here. This is my first submission to Ao3, and I'm hoping it goes reasonably well.
> 
> This was previously on Tumblr, and I'm honestly hoping posting a story I've already finished here will be a good stepping stone into writing on this site. In any case, I hope you enjoy!

**#1: Picnic** ****

High above Beach City, hanging on a cliff over the Temple of the Crystal Gems, there stands a lighthouse. It has, of course, been disused for some time - it was closed in the late 1960s, and is now used as a hideaway by local conspiracy theorist Ronaldo Fryman. If one is lucky enough to climb up to the lighthouse while Ronaldo is out searching for ‘the mysteries of the universe’, they can find a quiet and peaceful vista overlooking the town and the sea.

Which was what was happening today.

It had been Steven’s idea - a nice, quiet picnic to recharge in between the variety of dramas that marked the day-to-day lives of the Crystal Gems. Garnet was unfortunately busy catching a corrupted gem at the Beta Kindergarten, Pearl didn’t eat and Lapis wanted to have some alone time, so that left Steven, Amethyst, Peridot and Connie to trudge up to the lighthouse and have their picnic.

“So,” asked Peridot, “What exactly is ‘picnic?’”

“It’s lunch, dude,” replied Amethyst, letting herself fall onto her back as Steven set down the picnic basket.

“Then why not call it lunch?” asked Peridot, crossing her arms.

“It’s a different kind of lunch,” shrugged Steven, “Instead of eating it at home you go somewhere else and eat it outside. Like this.”

“Sounds…unhygienic,” said Peridot.

“You say that like its a bad thing,” chuckled Amethyst.

Connie opened the basket, rifling through it.

“Let’s see here,” she said, “We’ve got ham and cheese, PB&J, salami…”

“Oh, I made my own,” interrupted Amethyst, “The one with the Works.”

“The big one wrapped in foil?” asked Connie.

“Yep,” nodded Amethyst, “I would’ve just thrown it in, but Pearl said it was a ‘biohazard’ or something.”

“What do you mean by ‘the Works?’”, quizzed Peridot as Connie handed Amethyst her sandwich.

“Used everything in the fridge,” shrugged Amethyst.

She bit straight into the sandwich, foil and all.

“You want anything, Peridot?” asked Connie.

“No,” replied Peridot, “I can’t shapeshift the organs required to digest food.”

“She’s just here for the company, man,” replied Amethyst, putting an arm around Peridot’s shoulders.

For several minutes, the small group sat and ate, the pleasant early-afternoon breeze drifting over them. Steven talked about a new Dogcopter film that had been announced the previous week, and Connie talked about school and how she could t wait for the end of term, but Amethyst sooner noticed that Peridot wasn’t saying much of anything. She was sitting on the grass, staring up at the sky.

“Something wrong, Peri?” she asked.

“We’re sitting here,” Peridot replied, “Having this ‘picnic’ while Homeworld could be sending another ship right now.”

“That’s why we’re having the picnic, dude,” shrugged Amethyst, “To get away from that for a bit.”

“I guess,” said Peridot, “But I can’t help but feel like we’re just waiting to be…”

Amethyst glanced over to Steven and Connie, who were deep in conversation. Confident that they wouldn’t listen in, she scooted over to be closer to Peridot.

“We’re not gonna be shattered, Peridot,” she replied, “We won’t let that happen. I won’t let that happen. I…”

“Do you think I started this?”

Amethyst blinked.

“Peridot, what’re you…”

“Do you think _I_ started this, Amethyst?” demanded Peridot, “I mean, I was the one who made that report! I was the one who brought Jasper here! And the Rubies came here to find Jasper, and Navy stole our ship because I trusted her, and…”

“Peridot…”

“What if we lose and it’s my fault, Amethyst?” asked Peridot, “What if…”

“Peridot, listen,” said Amethyst, “You’re not…”

“ _What if you get shattered because of me?_ ” shouted Peridot.

There was a long silence. Steven and Connie had stopped talking and were now focusing on the two gems.

Amethyst sighed, putting her hands on Peridot’s shoulders.

“Peridot,” she said, “Listen to me. Jasper wasn’t your fault. The Rubies weren’t your fault. Nothing has been your fault. And even if it was, I don’t care! Because you know what?”

“What?” asked Peridot, breathing slightly heavier.

“If you hadn’t come to Earth with Jasper, I’d never have met you,” said Amethyst, “And I’d rather fight a hundred Homeworld Gems that not be your friend, man! We all would, right guys?”

“Yeah,” nodded Connie, “We would.”

“I’m kind of used to it anyway,” shrugged Steven.

“And you know what else?” added Amethyst, “If I got shattered for you, Peridot? That’d be okay.”

Peridot looked up, gazing into Amethyst’s eyes.

“R-really?” she croaked.

“Really.”

Peridot tried to smile. Instead she let out a somewhat choked sob.

“Ah, c’mere, Peri,” said Amethyst, pulling Peridot into a hug as she broke into tears.

The green gem spluttered out apologies as Amethyst rubbed her back, telling her again and again it was okay. All the while, Steven and Connie watched, and when they felt the time was right, they came over and joined in.

“Y'know,” said Peridot, sniffling loudly, “I think I like ‘picnic’. This…this is nice.”

She closed her eyes, still holding tightly to Amethyst. The wind blew around her, as if the Earth itself was soothing her, telling her all would be okay.

Whether or not Homeworld’s incursions were her fault, she decided she didn’t regret a thing. Not if it meant she had her friends.

Not if it meant she had Amethyst.


	2. #2: Bathing Suits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to be honest here - like Peridot, I know very little about the topic of this prompt.

**#2: Bathing Suits**

"What is the point of this ' _bathing suit_?'" Peridot asked, quizzically turning the catalogue about in her hands, "Why do you need a _suit_ to bathe?"

She and Amethyst were sitting on Steven's couch. It was a quiet day, and there was little to do, so Peridot had starting reading a catalogue that had come in the mail that morning.

"Oh, that's just what you wear when you go swimming," replied Amethyst, "You know, like at the beach or..."

"Then why's it called a bathing suit?" said Peridot, "You're not _bathing_ , you're _swimming._ "

"Some people bathe," shrugged Amethyst, "They just lay by the water all day. You know, boring people, like Pearl."

"So they just...lie on the ground?" asked Peridot, tilting her head, "Why?"

"To _tan_ , dude," replied Amethyst.

"You mean they deliberately allow their skin to suffer sun damage just so that they can slightly change its hue?" said Peridot, "That's...humans are _weird_."

She turned over the page.

"Do you need to put them together?" she said.

"Huh?"

"The bathing suits," replied Peridot, "Some of them say they're in one piece, but this one says it's in two pieces..."

"Nah, that's just how much skin it covers," said Amethyst, "Like, if you wanna show off your midriff or not."

"You mean like Lapis does?"

"Which ones are you looking at?" asked Amethyst.

Peridot handed over the catalogue. Amethyst looked at the page and whistled.

"Lapis...Lapis wears a _bit_ more than that," replied Amethyst, "This stuff's for...uh..."

"Greater sun damage contraction?" asked Peridot.

"Look, Peridot," said Amethyst, scratching the back of her head, "Look, when humans wear this sort of stuff, it's usually to make them look...uh... _attractive_."

"Hmm," nodded Peridot, scratching her chin, "So if _I_ were to wear this, I'd be more aesthetically pleasing?"

Amethyst blinked and started to blush.

"Amethyst?"

"Uh..."

"Is everything alright, Ames?"

Amethyst rubbed her head and nodded, chuckling a little.

"Yeah, sorry, I...I just...just feeling a little hot, you know," she said.

"Oh, do you want me to adjust the room temperature?" asked Peridot, pointing to the thermostat.

"Nah, I just...uh...never mind," shrugged Amethyst, "Wanna go down to the beach?"


	3. #3: Camping Trip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like the Beta Kindergarten - it's always good to see a nice desert environment, y'know?

**#3: Camping Trip**

The stars shone over the Beta Kindergarten, and the moon illuminated the area in a silverly light. It was an excellent night for camping.

They hadn't come alone. In fact, the idea had been Greg's - he'd wanted to go camping for a night or two for a while, and the desert around the Beta Kindergarten had sounded like a nice, unique place to do so. Besides, if anything went wrong, there was a warp pad within walking distance of them. He'd taken Steven and Connie, and Amethyst and Peridot had decided to tag along. It had gone well - there had only been one corrupted gem attack so far.

It was late now, and the others had gone to sleep. Amethyst and Peridot lay outside, looking up at the stars.

"And _that_ star?" said Peridot, pointing up at the sky, "That's where Homeworld has one of their shipyards. They say they built Yellow Diamond's ship there. I think they're making it up to make themselves look better, _buuut_..."

"What's it like there?" asked Amethyst.

"I only went there once," shrugged Peridot, "Back when I had to pick up the ship we took to Earth. It was kinda smelly, really hot, a lot of Bismuths..."

She glanced over to Amethyst and noticed her frown.

"Problem?" she asked.

"Just thinking about _our_ Bismuth," replied Amethyst, "Remember?"

"You did tell me about her, yes," nodded Peridot, "The one that wanted to shatter Homeworld gems?"

Amethyst sighed.

"Yeah," she nodded, "I...I don't think she was ever _bad_ , y'know? I mean; her, Rose, Garnet, Pearl - they were fighting Homeworld for _hundreds of years_. What if the Breaking Point had ended the war, man?"

She shook her head.

"I mean, I don't _agree_ with her," she sighed, "But...I _understand_."

"And Rose didn't?" asked Peridot, tilting her head.

"I don't know," sighed Amethyst, "I'm starting to feel like I didn't really know much about Rose at all."

She shook her head and looked up to the moon.

"What's even happening to us, Peri?" she asked.

"We're camping?"

"Everything keeps getting so intense, Peridot!" exclaimed Amethyst, "We've gotta worry about the Diamonds, about Aquamarine and Topaz, about the Rubies and human zoos and trials and who knows what else..."

"And Holly Blue," added Peridot.

"Eh, I'm not really that worried about her," shrugged Amethyst, "Point is, I actually kind of miss the days when we were just worrying about the darn _Cluster_. I mean, sure, it could've destroyed the Earth, but at least it was easy to get my head around!"

Peridot nodded.

"Things were simpler back then," she nodded, "Terrifying, but objectively simpler."

Amethyst shook her head.

"Look, forget I said anything, man," she sighed, "C'mon, anything else interesting up there?"

Peridot looked up, scrutinising the night sky. Eventually, she pointed up.

"Right there," she said, "That star."

"What about it?" asked Amethyst.

"That's where my Kindergarten was."

There was a long silence.

"So..." said Amethyst, "Is that... _home_?"

Peridot shook her head.

"I was one of the last gems to emerge from that planet," she replied, "The entire planet was completely harvested. They took off the last gems to emerge and then abandoned it. There was nothing left by then."

"What was the planet called?" asked Amethyst.

"Nobody thought to give it a name," replied Peridot, "Just...'Facet 5, Kindergarten 836'."

She gazed thoughtfully at the star.

"They dispatched me straight to Homeworld by warp pad," she continued, "I worked on Kindergarten inspection for most of my time there, but I rarely actually left my assigned work area. It wasn't until I came to Earth that I saw anything... _alive_."

She shook her head.

"Look, I know it's illogical," she said, "But what I'm trying to say is... _this_ is my home now. And if the Diamonds win, and they come back to Earth or unbubble the Cluster..."

She looked Amethyst in the eye.

"I just think, if you think about it like that, maybe..."

"We win or we have no home," nodded Amethyst, "Y'know, Peri, that is pretty simple."

Peridot smiled.

"In fact, you know what?" she said, standing up, "I've been thinking. Why are we still calling it Homeworld? _This_ is Homeworld! That thing, that's...that's _Theirworld!_ "

"Yeah!" exclaimed Amethyst, jumping to her feet, "And when they come, we're gonna kick their lame _Theirworld_ butts right back into space! For _our world!_ For Earth!"

"For Earth!" cheered Peridot.

"For the Crystal Gems!" added Amethyst.

"For the Crystal Gems!"

"For us!"

" _For us!_ "

Peridot laughed and hugged Amethyst.

"Alright, they won't...wait," she said, "What do you mean, 'for us?'"

"Ah, it just came out," shrugged Amethyst, "I mean, you're here and...and I'm here and..."

"Hey, Peridot?"

Not far away, Greg stuck his head out of the tent.

"You mind running back to the warp pad and getting some matches?" he asked, "I just checked, and I think that monster ate most of the spares."

"Sure thing!" Peridot called, perhaps slightly louder than necessary, "I'll be right back!"

She sprinted off towards the warp pad. Greg watched her go before stepping out of the tent and walking over to Amethyst, sitting down next to her.

"Hey Greg," sighed Amethyst, sitting back on the ground.

"I'm gonna be honest," said Greg, "I heard _most_ of what you guys were talking about."

"And?"

"Want some advice?" asked Greg.

"No," shrugged Amethyst, "But you'll probably give it to me anyway."

"Sometimes, you've just gotta break the ice, Amethyst," shrugged Greg, "You wanna say it. She wants to say it. If you want anything to happen, I think you've just gotta take the first step."

"You mean turn up in her cave and telling her she's everything I want?" chuckled Amethyst, raising her eyebrow.

"Hey, it worked for me," said Greg.

He got back to his feet.

"Well, just have a think about it," he said, "There's no rush."

"Will do, Greg, will do," nodded Amethyst, "Goodnight, man."

"Goodnight, Amethyst."

Greg walked back over to the tent, ducking back through the flap and out of sight. Amethyst watched him go before sighing and falling on her back, gazing up at the moon again.

She had a lot to think about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're wondering why Greg got a prominent role here, it's because he's one of my absolute favourite characters.
> 
> That'll be it for today - I'll add a few more tomorrow. Hope you liked it!


	4. #4: Volleyball

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two more entries today, and the first is on a sport I knew literally nothing about when I wrote this. It probably shows.

**#4: Volleyball**

"Alright Beach City! Welcome, one and all, to the First Beach City Volleyball Tournament!"

Mr. Smiley shouted into his microphone, beaming as he stood on the makeshift volleyball court. It was a beautiful day, and most of the town had turned out to the event. Even Lapis had made it out, although she had made it clear that she didn't want to play and was instead content to find a quiet spot by the beach. Peridot didn't really understand any of what was going on, but she had a special reason to turn up - the tournament was going to be opened by an exhibition match between the Crystal Gems and a team of Beach City's citizens.

"But before we get started, I'd like to call Mayor Dewey up here to make a few opening statements," continued Mr. Smiley, "Mr. Mayor?"

Peridot watched as Dewey walked over. The sweating politician still wore a suit, even as the sun beat down on him. Peridot didn't quite understand what Dewey's purpose was - apparently he was the leader of Beach City, but didn't actually do much leading. It must have been a human thing.

The Mayor began to speak, but most people tuned him out. Peridot looked eagerly towards the court, waiting for her friends to come out.

There was a tap on her shoulder, and Peridot almost jumped out of her skin.

" _Gah!_ "

She turned around swiftly, finding herself face-to-face with Amethyst.

"Peri," she said, "We've got a problem. C'mon!"

"Has Steven been kidnapped by Homeworld again?" asked Peridot, clutching her hair.

"Nah, it's not that," replied Amethyst.

"Has _Greg_ been kidnapped by Homeworld again?!"

"Nobody's been kidnapped, man," said Amethyst, "It's Garnet. They won't let her play."

They approached the rest of the Gems, finding Mr. Fryman in animated conversation with Garnet. Next to them, Steven, Pearl, Connie and Greg looked on in concern.

"I'm sorry, but they're the rules," said Fryman, "Volleyball code says ya can't launch the ball into the stratosphere. You're too strong for this to be fair. We have to disqualify you."

"But if Garnet can't play, we'll be short a player!" protested Connie.

Garnet crossed her arms.

"Sorry, Connie," she said, "But it doesn't seem like the Fry Man's gonna budge."

"Sorry, they're the breaks," shrugged Fryman, "Hope you can find a sixth guy."

He walked away.

"Dang it!" Amethyst cursed, "Look, Peridot, we're gonna need you."

"What?" quizzed Peridot.

"We need six guys on the team," replied Amethyst, "If we can't fill Garnet's spot, we can't play!"

"Why doesn't Garnet just unfuse?" asked Peridot, tilting her head.

"Sapphire can see the future and Ruby might set the ball on fire," said Greg, "Fryman's not exactly gonna let them play if he won't let Garnet."

"Come on, Peri," said Amethyst, putting a hand on Peridot's shoulder, "We need _you!_ "

"But I have no idea how this activity works!" exclaimed Peridot, "If you add me to your team your probability of victory would decrease..."

"It's not about winning, man," interrupted Amethyst, "It's about taking part! And we don't get to do that unless you help us!"

She paused, furrowing her brow.

"Ah great, I sound like Steven," she head to herself.

Peridot glanced from the court to Amethyst and back. The Mayor was still droning on, but he seemed to be wrapping up.

"If I join your team," she said, "That'll mean you have... _fun_ , right?"

Amethyst nodded.

"Very well, Amethyst," nodded Peridot, crossing her arms, "I accept your proposition. Let's do this...'basketball'."

"'Volleyball.'"

"Close enough."

* * *

"...thank you very much, and remember to vote Dewey this November!"

Mayor Dewey smiled and walked off the court to a limited smattering of applause.

"Thank you, Mayor Dewey!" exclaimed Mr. Smiley, walking back onto the court and looking very relieved that the Mayor was finished, "Now, who wants to get show on the road?"

There was a second applause, this one much more enthusiastic.

"Alright" said Mr. Smiley, "Kicking us off today, we have an exhibition match between the Crystal Gems and the Beach City All-Stars!"

Over to the side, Peridot took a deep breath.

"Okay, here we go," she whispered to herself, "No idea what I'm doing, but...I'll improvise!"

Amethyst took her hand.

"You'll do fine, Peri," she reassured, "Just follow my lead."

"In the left corner!" exclaimed Mr. Smiley, apparently forgetting that he wasn't commentating Beach City Underground Wrestling at the moment, "Representing Beach City's finest; give it up for Sadie Miller, Buck Dewey, Sour Cream, Jenny and Kiki Pizza and Jamie the Mailman!"

The Beach City team emerged. Peridot swallowed, and held Amethyst's hand more tightly.

"And in the right corner!" continued Mr. Smiley, "Representing the Crystal Gems, please welcome Steven and Greg Universe, Pearl, Amethyst, Connie Maheswaran and..."

He squinted at his handwriting.

"...Peridot!"

Peridot swallowed as they walked onto the court, meekly waving to mimic Amethyst's more enthusiastic gesture as she took her place on the sand. She swallowed, looking at the crowd around her.

"That's...uh...that's a lot of people," she said.

"Alright!" yelled Mr. Smiley, "The game will start on our referee's whistle!"

Fryman walked out onto the court, a whistle in his hands. Peridot stared at him, trying to control her breathing as she nervously waited to begin.

"Yo, Peridot!"

Peridot glanced over to Amethyst, who was giving her a thumbs up.

"You got this," she said, smiling.

Peridot nodded, closed her eyes and calmed down.

"Alright," she whispered to herself, "Do it for Amethyst...let's win this."

* * *

They didn't win, in the end.

They came _close_. It came right down to the wire, but in the end, Sadie had managed to score one last point and win them the set and the game. In the end, though, winning wasn't really the point.

Peridot hadn't really gotten the hang of it. She had missed the ball several times, and been hit in the face once or twice. But in the end, she found to her surprise that it didn't matter that much. She was actually having _fun_.

Once the match was finished and the real tournament was under way, Amethyst lead Peridot down the beach towards the Big Donut - the purple gem wanted to raid the self-serve there.

"You did pretty good today, Peridot," she said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"But we lost, didn't we?" replied Peridot.

"And like I said, it doesn't matter," shrugged Amethyst, "Main thing is we had fun."

"I guess so," nodded Peridot, scratching her chin, "Amethyst?"

"Yeah?"

"...thanks for asking me to play," said Peridot, slightly hesitantly, "It was...it was a good experience."

"No problem," replied Amethyst, "Thanks for saying yes."

Not far away, Greg and Lapis watched them walk away.

"You seeing it too, huh?" asked Greg.

"Yep," nodded Lapis.

"How long until they come out and say it?" said Greg.

Lapis shrugged.

"Eventually," she said, "Maybe."


	5. 5#: Sunglasses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No sunglasses were worn at night during the making off this oneshot.

**#5: Sunglasses**

Peridot didn't really like sunglasses.

She'd worn them twice now. The first time was when she was playing Garnet while she, Connie and Lapis were temping for the main Crystal Gems during their mission at the Zoo. That wasn't an especially good memory for her because they'd all ended up fighting. The second time had been during the... _unpleasantness_ following Aquamarine's arrival, during which she had decided to inspect the sun to see if there was anything she could refine for a spaceship engine in it. The answer was no, and she also found out that, despite their name, sunglasses were not designed for staring directly at the sun. For a variety of reasons, this was also a bad memory.

In any case, she didn't find them comfortable. They didn't fit well over her visor, and the way they darkened everything in her vision reminded her a little too much of Homeworld. They were something she could do without.

That said, she could appreciate them as a visual accessory. They were certainly stylish, she had to say. Garnet's visor, which was very much like a pair of sunglasses, added to her demeanour of authority. She'd seen Steven convince Pearl to try some on once and she didn't look half bad in them. And they had certainly helped the image of those nice men in black suits that Lapis had chased away from the barn the previous week.

Yet she didn't like them on Amethyst.

She'd come over yesterday - tagging along with Steven, Connie, and a strange man with a flashlight that Connie had called 'dad' (wasn't _Greg_ 'dad?'). Apparently Greg had offered Connie's 'dad' something in the barn that was used in 'cars' (a battery of some kind). While the man (who also seemed to go by Doug, apparently) and Lapis went through the barn to find it, Peridot waited outside with her friends.

She had noticed Amethyst was wearing sunglasses, and for reason, this bugged her.

It seemed to have been an impulse - Amethyst had found them in her room, decided they looked good, and put them on. They were a little worn and one of the hinges was engraved with ' _property of Douglas MacArthur_ ', but they didn't look bad. When she looked directly into them, Peridot could see her reflection.

"So," she had asked, "Where did those 'sunglasses' come from?"

Amethyst had shrugged before explaining.

"Eh, this one time Pearl beat up this army guy who was giving lip to Rose," she'd explained, "She knocked him out and I stole them."

Pearl's assault on this anonymous military man was apparently something of a surprise to Connie and required further explanation, and the sunglasses discussion ended up being dropped. Peridot enjoyed the rest of Amethyst's visit, certainly, but there was something 'wrong' with seeing her in those glasses. Maybe it was how reflective they were, or perhaps it was simply that they were a change from Amethyst's normal look.

Eventually, Doug found his 'battery' and they headed home, leaving Lapis and Peridot alone. They'd watched a bit of Camp Pining Hearts (Season 4, which was a little weak but nevertheless solid) before Lapis had decided to get some sleep on the hammock, leaving Peridot laying on the floor, deep in thought.

Finally, just after eleven, she realised what the problem was.

It was the _eyes_.

When Amethyst wore those sunglasses, her eyes were invisible, and Peridot had found that disappointing. She happened to like Amethyst's eyes - they were very aesthetically pleasing, she thought, and those expressive purple orbs often helped Peridot understand what her friend was feeling. And maybe, sometimes, very occasionally, she might happen to get lost in them, but that was-

If Peridot had known what the expression meant, she might have called this the moment the other shoe dropped.

She'd seen this before. It was in the way she knew, _knew_ , no matter what the writers said, that Percy felt about Pierre. It was the same feelings that Greg or Pearl talked about when they spoke of Rose Quartz. It was the same way she imagined Steven felt about Connie.

She stared up at the roof of the barn, the gears in her mind clicking into place.

" _Uh-oh_ ," she said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, that _is_ a Gravity Falls reference! I miss it so much.
> 
> And that'll do for today. Hope you enjoyed!


	6. #6: Mermaids

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Peridot learns about mythological creatures.

**#6: Mermaids**

For years prior to the founding of Beach City, sailors feared the waters around what would later be the town. Rumours whispered between frightened sailors spoke of beautiful sirens in the waves, luring sailors to the their deaths on the rocks near the coast. Some said they were evil demons sent by dark powers; others said they were vengeful angels that preyed on pirates and slave galleons. Prestigious institutions back in Europe and up the coast in Empire City claimed that they were simply mirages imagined by homesick seamen. It wasn't until William Dewey founded Beach City that people came to accept that these were probably sightings of the Crystal Gems, distorted by memory into something these mariners could understand.

Of course, it could also be that Amethyst occasionally shapeshifted into a mermaid for the express purpose of messing with passing ships. This stopped soon after Beach City was founded, as Rose had decided to see what the humans would do with this new town and that didn't really work if they kept getting chased off.

That, of course, was all two hundred years ago. Everybody who remembered it and wasn't a gem was long dead, and the negative connotations around mermaids had since faded. As a result, Amethyst had convinced Pearl to let her show off her 'old routine'.

"So you used to turn into a mermaid?" asked Steven, walking up the beach towards a small collections of rocks on the shoreline.

"Yeah, man!" replied Amethyst, "It was awesome! I'd swim out to boats and they'd all be _terrified_ and then I'd threaten to eat them...it was fun."

"Did you ever run into any pirates?" Connie asked excitedly.

"Yeah, couple of times," shrugged Amethyst, "Blackbeard's overrated."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Peridot.

"Oh yeah, you don't know what a mermaid is," nodded Amethyst, "Trust me, Peri, this is cool."

She reached the rocks and climbed on top of one, sitting down on top of it.

"Okay, here we go," she said, "Connie, get out the phone."

Connie reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, setting it to camera mode.

"Got it," she said, "Do it."

"Alright!" exclaimed Amethyst, "Mermaid-ing it up!"

For a few seconds, she glowed white, her outline changing. Peridot watched as her legs melded together. When the glow faded, Amethyst looked mostly the same, except for the fact that her legs had fused into a tailfin of the same colour her pants had been before. She grinned and raised two fingers as Connie took her picture.

"So... _that's_ a mermaid?" asked Peridot.

"Yep!" replied Amethyst, " _Cannonball!_ "

She slid forward, falling into the water with a mighty splash. Peridot braced herself as a cascade of water fell on top of her, drenching her.

Amethyst laughed as she emerged from the water.

"It's...it's just you with a tail, though," said Peridot, tilting her head.

"Yep," shrugged Amethyst, "Human's ain't that imaginative, Peri."

"Hey!" exclaimed Steven, "That's..."

He trailed off as Connie whispered something in his ear.

"...that might work," he nodded, "Guys, we'll be right back!"

He and Connie ran off down the beach, leaving Amethyst and Peridot alone.

"Wonder what they're doing?" Peridot mused.

"Okay, what's wrong?"

She looked down. Amethyst was lying on her back next to her, floating gently up and down in the surf.

"Nothing's wrong," replied Peridot, "I just..."

"I know you better than that, Peridot," replied Amethyst, "Come on, you can tell me."

Peridot sighed and sat down.

"I don't know if I can," she sighed, "I just...it's dumb. It's really, really dumb."

"Eh, lots of things are dumb," shrugged Amethyst, "Lay it on me, man."

"It's...I've been thinking since you came to the barn with those...'sunglasses', and I..."

"You worried that I stole them?" chuckled Amethyst, "Don't worry about it, Peri, the guy was a _jerk_. I mean, he was a really, really big-"

"It's not that," replied Peridot.

She sighed again and fell onto her back.

"I didn't like them," she said, "And I didn't know why until you went home with Steven and Connie and the Doug. And I was thinking about it last night, and I...this is really stupid, I'm sorry, let's go back to mermaids..."

"What were you thinking about?" asked Amethyst.

"I...it was about your _eyes_ ," she replied, "And about how they covered them and...and I didn't like that."

There was a long silence.

"Peridot," said Amethyst, "Are you saying..."

"I don't know what I'm saying," replied Peridot, "It's completely illogical. It's just - I've been getting these strange feelings that I don't understand, and it's scaring me. I...I don't know how to describe them, and my head tells me..."

"Peridot."

Amethyst had sat up, looking Peridot directly in the eye.

"Who cares about your head," she said, "What does your _heart_ say?"

Peridot sat up and swallowed.

"That I...should tell you how much I appreciate you," she said, "And that I should hold on to you..and that scares me because..."

"Because if you do that you might never be able to let go?" replied Amethyst.

Wordlessly, Peridot nodded.

"Well," said Amethyst, taking a deep breath, "What's wrong with that?"

Peridot lunged forward, pulling Amethyst into a tight hug. Amethyst returned it, and they stayed embraced in the surf for some time - for those brief moments that felt like an eternity, all that existed to them was the water, the wind and each other.

And then it was abruptly ended by a massive splash of water.

Peridot and Amethyst watched, drenched by the splash, as Stevonnie emerged from the water. They grinned, jumping into the air and showing off a pink tailfin.

"Amethyst! Peridot!" they exclaimed, "It worked! I shapeshifted..."

They took off as they took in the two gems' positions.

"Wow, what'd we miss?" they asked.

Amethyst shrugged.

"Eh," she replied, "Nothing much."

She and Peridot looked at each other and broke into giggles, pulling back into a hug. Stevonnie crossed their arms, looking on knowingly at their companions.

Honestly, it was about time.


	7. 7#: Alternate Universe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one doesn't follow the same continuity that I haphazardly developed in the other ones, since the prompt was to set it in an AU. But it does have Topaz in it, so I think that makes up for it.

**#7: Alternate Universe**

When the Diamonds came, the US Government quite understandably panicked. It was this fear that led them to make a deal.

The Diamonds wanted the Crystal Gems - it had become a personal vendetta a while ago. The government was happy to help them find them, if it meant Earth was spared. The terms of the deal were a little extreme - not only did the Diamonds want the Gems, but they wanted pretty much everybody who had ever even associated with them - but if it kept Earth intact, the powers that be considered it worth it.

It hadn't even been a fight. The army had rolled right into Beach City, which gave the Gems the singular choice of fighting back, which could get the citizens of the town hurt or worse, or try to flee. It ended in chaos - the army apprehended Greg and the Maheswaran parents, while Homeworld was able to drag both Pearl and Garnet off to captivity. Lapis managed to escape, but was separated from her friends. Only Steven, Connie, Amethyst and Peridot managed to flee to the hills, taking Bismuth's bubbled gem with them. The rebellion had begun anew, and they were already losing.

They were at what might optimistically be called Rebellion HQ now. With both Kindergartens occupied by Homeworld and the US military occupying most other gem landmarks they could find, they had fled to a small, abandoned log cabin in the Appalachian mountains.

There, the battered remains of the Crystal Gems were left to plan their next move. Only one thing had been decided with any certainty - they were _not_ giving up.

Amethyst and Peridot were hidden behind a bush beside a dirt road - or more accurately, Amethyst had shapeshifted into a bush and Peridot was hiding behind her. A small army convoy had parked across the road, a dozen soldiers alighting from their trucks and taking positions around a small clearing. At the back of the convoy was an armoured car, which a couple of soldiers were waiting for orders to open.

At the front of the convoy, an officer was barking orders to his troops.

"Come on, move it, people!" he exclaimed, "We've got five minutes until Jasper comes for pickup!"

"Jasper?" whispered Peridot, "I thought Aquamarine handled prisoner exchanges?"

"Weird," nodded Amethyst, "Wonder what's going on."

"Bring out the convict!" thundered the officer.

The soldiers opened the back of the armoured car, aiming their rifles inside and barking orders for the occupant to get out. Ever so slowly, she climbed out of the back.

"What in the... _Topaz?!_ " hissed Amethyst.

Topaz was marched to the front of the convoy, her arms restrained and her head bowed - Amethyst could just about see her eyes watering behind her visor. Once she reached the officer, a soldier guarding her barked an order to kneel - reluctantly, she did so.

"So, _traitor_ ," spat the officer, "Why'd you do it?"

Topaz didn't reply, staring at the ground.

"Was it because you're a damn freak?" demanded the officer, "A...uh...what'd they call it...a _fusion?_ You wanted to be accepted or something? _Pathetic_."

He snorted and shook his head.

"Alright, three minutes," he barked, "Let's get this freak o' nature out of my sight and get back to base, I'm dying for a coffee."

"Reckon we can deal with 'em in three minutes?" whispered Amethyst.

"It...it'd be _difficult_ ," replied Peridot, "The probability of success before Jasper arrives would be limited."

"Should we do it anyway?"

Peridot scratched her chin.

"Hold on," she said, "I'll distract them."

She held out her hands.

Quite suddenly, the line of army trucks began to slowly lift into the sky. The soldiers backed off in nervous confusion as they watched their vehicles float up towards the tops of the trees, some warily raising their rifles.

"Uh, Captain?" a soldier gulped, "What...what is that?"

The officer narrowed his eyes.

"What do you think it is?" he growled, " _Crystal Gems_."

Peridot separated her hands.

The trucks tore in half and crashed down to earth, sending the troops around them scurrying for cover. Some ran onto the road, where they soon saw the small green gem sticking out from behind a suspiciously purple bush.

"There they are!" one yelled, "Fire!"

Amethyst jumped into the air, shifting out of her bush form and beginning her spin attack. She sped onto the road, zooming towards the troops who fired ineffectively back. One by one, she bowled them down.

"Okay, that's four," she whispered to herself.

She emerged from her spin dash, leaping into the air and pulling out her whip. She swung it, tripping up two more soldiers and entangling the third, who she sent flying into a fourth and fifth.

"Nine," she continued, landing on the earthy ground.

"Freeze!" thundered a soldier behind her, sticking the barrel of his rifle right into Amethyst's neck.

Peridot threw out her hand, taking control of the metal portions of the soldier's rifle. It swung violently upwards, slamming the unfortunate man in the face and knocking him out.

"Nice one, Peri!" Amethyst called.

"No problem!" Peridot called back, "How about this?"

She waved her hand towards another soldier, lifting him into the air by his steel helmet and hurling him into a tree.

"Back off!"

The officer shoved his pistol into the back of Topaz' head, his face distorted into a furious scowl.

"Back off, or I swear to God-"

His pistol suddenly flew out of his hands and smacked him right in the face. It then did it three more times, until finally he slumped to the ground.

Amethyst grinned as Peridot crossed the road, dusting off her hands.

"Alright," she said, "Good job Peri. Now let's get out of here."

"What's going on?" asked Topaz, "Why are you helping me? I..."

"You're against Homeworld, we're against Homeworld," shrugged Amethyst, "We can't be picky right now. C'mon!"

She undid her restraints and they fled back into the trees.

* * *

The sun was coming down as they walked back to the log cabin. Topaz was glancing left and right, clearly afraid that something was going to happen.

"So, what'd you do to cheese off the Diamonds?" asked Amethyst.

"I...Aquamarine reported me," replied Topaz, "She said we were getting too close, that we were too sympathetic to the rebellion, that...I was becoming too much like a Crystal Gem."

Peridot shrugged.

"Well, if you weren't _before_ , you definitely are _now_."

"What?" asked Topaz.

"Most Crystal Gems," said Amethyst, "We're gems that had nowhere else to go - who Homeworld would never accept. Rose - and I guess _Steven_ now - gave us a home. Gave us a reason to exist. Y'know, something worth fighting for."

"So...what is _home_ for you, then?" asked Topaz, "Just Earth?"

Amethyst and Peridot glanced at each other.

"Home is...um..." began Amethyst.

"Home is where the people who love you are," replied Peridot, "The people who accept you. No matter how defective you are."

"Geez, Peri, we're really making an Earthling out of you," chuckled Amethyst, "But she's right. I mean, a really great gem once told me it was where she was allowed to them. It's where _we're_ allowed to be _us._.."

She put an arm around Peridot, who blushed.

"...and it's where you can be you, man," finished Amethyst, "Whatever the heck that is."

As the sun ducked behind the distant mountains, the three Crystal Gems made their way home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's all she wrote. Erm, all he wrote. All I wrote.
> 
> If you liked it, I intend to participate in the next Amedot bomb next week, so keep an eye out for that when it comes. Here's hoping you had fun with this, thank you for all the kudos and the comments, and I'll see you next time!


End file.
